Pandemic

Thank you for sharing these words of poetry. Words are keepsakes, keeping us close in good times and distressing ones.

Here are words of encouragement I recently shared with clinicians who care for my family: "Thank you for the outstanding care you always provide to our family. During this time of the coronavirus pandemic, I'd like to also thank you for heroically being of service to all of your patients. Please take care of yourself and your loved ones."

And here are words from a different era that my wife, Mangla, shared with me earlier this week:

“And the people stayed home. And read books, and listened, and rested, and exercised, and made art, and played games, and grew gardens full of fresh food, and learned new ways of being, and were still. And listened more deeply. Some meditated, some prayed, some danced. Some met their shadows. And the people began to think differently.

And the people healed. And, in the absence of people living in ignorant, dangerous, mindless, and heartless ways, the earth began to heal.

And when the danger passed, and the people joined together again, they grieved their losses, and made new choices, and dreamed new images, and created new ways to live and heal the earth fully, as they had been healed.”

~Kitty O'Meara 1839 – 1888
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Another related poem I enjoyed ... 

Lockdown
--Fr. Richard Hendrick, OFM March 13th 2020

Yes there is fear.
Yes there is isolation.
Yes there is panic buying.
Yes there is sickness.
Yes there is even death.
But,
They say that in Wuhan after so many years of noise
You can hear the birds again.
They say that after just a few weeks of quiet
The sky is no longer thick with fumes
But blue and grey and clear.
They say that in the streets of Assisi
People are singing to each other
across the empty squares,
keeping their windows open
so that those who are alone
may hear the sounds of family around them.
They say that a hotel in the West of Ireland
Is offering free meals and delivery to the housebound.
Today a young woman I know
is busy spreading fliers with her number
through the neighborhood
So that the elders may have someone to call on.
Today Churches, Synagogues, Mosques and Temples
are preparing to welcome
and shelter the homeless, the sick, the weary
All over the world people are slowing down and reflecting
All over the world people are looking at their neighbors in a new way
All over the world people are waking up to a new reality
To how big we really are.
To how little control we really have.
To what really matters.
To Love.
So we pray and we remember that
Yes there is fear.
But there does not have to be hate.
Yes there is isolation.
But there does not have to be loneliness.
Yes there is panic buying.
But there does not have to be meanness.
Yes there is sickness.
But there does not have to be disease of the soul
Yes there is even death.
But there can always be a rebirth of love.
Wake to the choices you make as to how to live now.
Today, breathe.
Listen, behind the factory noises of your panic
The birds are singing again
The sky is clearing,
Spring is coming,
And we are always encompassed by Love.
Open the windows of your soul
And though you may not be able
to touch across the empty square,
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A text I received last month that I thought you may enjoy reading. 

「靜靜的中國」 作者:石梁
“China in Silence” by Shi Liang, early February 2020

喧囂的中國終於靜下來了，躁動的社會終於靜下來了，焦躁的國人也漸漸地靜下來了。
The hustle and bustle in China finally quietened down. The restless society finally also calmed down. The restless people in the country too gradually fell silent.

曾被人類關在籠子裡的野生動物，終於成功地將人類也關在了「籠子」裡，這就叫「多行不義，必自斃。」這就是「天道輪廻」。
The wildlife which were caged have finally succeeded in caging humans. This is known as “Rampant vicious acts will come around”. Such a phenomenon is the Law of natural justice or karma.

人類終於低下了那顆驕傲的頭，開始靜靜地思考：我們還是地球之王嗎？人類終於又一次深切地感受到了大自然的威力。
Humans finally have to bow their proud heads and ponder in silence: Are humans the king of the planet? Humans finally have to submit to the awe of the nature.

人類在面對死亡的威脅時，才開始認真地反思，才知道缺乏敬畏的社會氛圍是會導致更多的傷害，是會面臨更多風險的。
Facing the threat of death, humans began to reflect and realized that the lack of due respect and fear will end up with more harm and danger.

貪婪的心正在被病毒淨化，愛吃的嘴也正在被病毒懲罰，一天到晚泡在燈紅酒綠場所的人已被病毒趕回家，流連忘返在牌桌上、酒桌上和賭場裡的人也主動回了家。
The greedy hearts are cleansed by the pandemic, the gluttonous mouths are punished, and the fun seekers who used to hang out at pubs and clubs are repelled by the disease to return home. Those who frequently spent time in card games, alcohol and casinos are submissively home-bound.

街上的人越來越少，路上的車看不到幾輛，空氣開始變得清新，霧霾也不見了蹤影，天空越來越藍，太陽越來越亮，家庭變得越來越溫馨和睦，人們的心也變得越來越安靜、淡定。
There are fewer and fewer people and cars on the streets. The air becomes fresher, haze disappeared, the sky becomes bluer, and the sun becomes brighter. Families become more harmonious and warmer. The hearts of people are more peaceful and calm.

多年不看書的人在家裡捧起了書，從不管孩子的家長和孩子有了親子溝通，一年說不了幾句話的夫妻打開了話匣，不知道孝敬老人的子女也開始盡孝道。
Those who for years had not read a book now stay home to read. Parents who had neglected their children started to establish closer rapport, so are couples who had lived like strangers. And children become filial to their parents.

病毒給人類上了生動且深刻的一課，它讓我們懂得了敬畏，它也讓我們知道了什麼叫「歲月靜好」，它更讓我們感受到了人間真愛，它讓我們漸漸走上愛的「回歸之路」，我們真的應該感恩這個「敵人」，我們需要這樣的「敵人」經常給我們「提醒」，給我們「賦能」。
The Coronavirus pandemic gives humans a vivid and profound lesson. It teaches humans to submit and respect, to know the beauty of a peaceful life. It enables us to feel true love, it gradually leads us to the “return journey” of love. We ought to be grateful to this “enemy”, and we need it to regularly “awaken” and “empower” us.

病毒不會那麼快地離去，它需要看到人類好習慣的「養成」，病毒也不會一直肆虐下去，因為人類的「愛」會凝聚更大的力量讓病毒遠離，時間會告訴我們一切，時間也將證明什麼才是對的。
Coronavirus disease won’t go away soon; it is waiting for humans to develop good habits. The virus won’t continue to torture people forever either because humans will accumulate more loving-kindness to dispel the virus. Time will reveal all to us, and time will also show us what is right.
 

我真的很喜歡「靜靜的中國」，我希望國人自己要主動打造一個「靜靜的中國」，而不是再依靠病毒。
靜靜的中國，真好。
——20200202清晨寫於靜靜的家中

I really like the silent China. I hope that people in China can develop a “Silent China” by themselves without relying on any virus.
The silent China is truly wonderful!
——-wrote at home engulfed in silence on Feb. 2, 2020 morning      Hide full comment

Sound of Silence! In the noisy and busy world of doing and having, we tend forget to listen to the inner quiet and wise voice of the heart, the soul. Our minds get filled with fear, anger, annoyance, grievance, blame and despair. In the times of crisis we need to center down and let our bodies and minds be quiet, calm and clear. We need to turn off our agitated bodies and minds and create to listen to the voice of silence filled with empathy, compassion, kindness and love. We are encountering such challenging and testing times right in front of our eyes.. Can we go beyond our self-serving mind set and heart set and become brothers keepers? These are the times when we go beyond our self-created boundaries and relate to each other as children of God? This way we can shift of our mind set from me to we. As the poet Lynn Ungarwrites " Promise this world your love- for better or worse, in sickness and in health, so long as we all shall live."

Structuresof body and mind change slowly and at times drastically like the times we are facing now. I see and experience the openings of hearts welcoming, helping and caring for people impacted by this calamity.
Such experiencesfill my heart with gratitude. Such acts of love and compassion make the world sacred and beautiful.

Giving myself quiet time to fade away noises of mind helps me to be connected with my heart which is the abode of love, generosity, compassion and warmth.
Jagdish P Dave'
Namaste!




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